While I was growing up and my grandmother was still alive, I saw Uncle Pat several times a year when he came to Carteret, NJ on weekends. It was quite common for my father and I to go there when he visited. I remember many Sunday dinners in the basement of my grandparents home especially when Aunt Ann and Uncle Mike also came. Typically, his wife Angie would not come.
I remember my Uncle Pat was a heavy smoker (cigars) and a heavy drinker (whisky shots). He also was a great joke and story teller. He always had a joke. When he told one, he would laugh at his own jokes. And, the more he drank, the dirtier the jokes got, with no concern for who might be listening. He also always had a pencil and paper with him. He would sit down and sketch whatever might be around. Many times he drew pictures of myself or my father. Unfortunately, none of these survived. He was always fun to be around.
I also remember visiting Uncle Pat and Aunt Angie at the home in the Bronx NY (I think it was on Tremont Avenue). They lived close to the Bronx Zoo and the shopping area of Arthur Avenue. They lived in a tenement home. I can remember their home vividly. A 2 story brick home with the front door on the sidewalk where we would take chairs and sit and talk. They lived on the first floor with Angie’s father and sister living upstairs. The home was narrow. One interesting feature was that it had a “dumbwaiter” in the kitchen, a small “elevator” that could be used to send items upstairs or downstairs by pulling on a rope. In his basement, he had a variety of weight lifting equipment. I remember going down there and, even as an elderly man, he could use the rings, bars, and weights in a way I could never do.
It was quite common for Uncle Pat to walk with me to Bronx Zoo when I was young. I also remember walking through the outdoor stands on Arthur Avenue to buy groceries when we visited.
When Rose and I started dating, several times a year we would visit with Aunt Ann and Uncle Mike at their home in the Bronx (see below). Uncle Pat and Aunt Angie would typically join us for dinner. We really enjoyed their company.
Everyone tried to get Uncle Pat to move back to Carteret but it was not meant to be. They were eventually forced to move out of their home as the city took over the area to build a hospital which never occurred. Now, in their old age, they had to move to another area of the Bronx. At the same time, they had lots of problems with their son Richard who suffered mentally due to his involvement in the Korean war. At a young age their grandson, also Richard, eventually came to live with them and was a great help to them in their old age. However, the problems surrounding their son and grandson caused them to be isolated from the rest of the family. Any attempts to visit them were refused during this time. Unfortunately, the end of their life was mostly alone and separated from the family that loved them.
